Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect - Chapter 236

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 236
A middle-aged man with the appearance of a wild beast.
Lim Yang Baek, the Chief Bandit Lord of Nok Lim, fixed Cheon Yi Gae with a gaze as hard and unyielding as stone.
“The sun rises in the west. To think I’d meet you—a man who once trembled at the mere mention of the Murim Alliance—in one of their branch offices.”
“Hmph, what’s so surprising about that?”
Cheon Yi Gae forced a dry cough, trying to shed the tension that gripped him.
“Isn’t it stranger that you came barging in here than that I’m standing in this place?”
At his words, Lim Yang Baek twisted one corner of his mouth.
“Fair point.”
“What brings you all the way here? You’ve been cooped up in the Bandit stronghold for ten years.”
“There’s only one reason, isn’t there?”
“And that would be…….”
“Hangshan Stronghold.”
“Unexpected. I never took you for the sentimental type—caring for your men like that.”
Cheon Yi Gae was maintaining an easy tone of conversation, but inside, his mind churned with turmoil.
‘He came in person.’
No matter what happened to Hangshan Stronghold, who could have imagined that the Chief Bandit Lord himself would travel all the way to a branch office?
“So you mean to take your men back?”
“Of course.”
Lim Yang Baek’s eyes grew cold.
“Release them all.”
At those words, Cheon Yi Gae clicked his tongue.
“Your nerve has grown thick in our time apart. It was you who attacked us. Yet you think you can simply walk away with them……Choke!”
Seize!
In the middle of his words, Lim Yang Baek’s hand closed around his throat.
‘When——?’
Cheon Yi Gae’s eyes trembled.
He hadn’t even seen the hand move.
One moment there was nothing, and the next, a thick hand covered in scars clamped around his neck.
“You’ve always talked too much for your own good.”
The Bandit Lord’s gaze turned glacial.
Cheon Yi Gae thrashed and gasped, his mouth opening soundlessly.
“Hck, hhk. I, if you kill me…… the Murim Alliance will not spare Nok Lim…….”
“You dare threaten me?”
Lim Yang Baek tightened his grip.
“Hhk, hng——guaaaah!”
“Branch Master!”
Gang In Hyo’s voice rang out in alarm.
The veins in Cheon Yi Gae’s neck stood out thick and taut; he looked moments from death.
“Ha!”
Gang In Hyo pulled his Internal Force up sharply, crying out as he thrust both palms forward.
Rumble!
With a crack of thunder, a violent palm strike tore through the air and shot toward Lim Yang Baek.
Gang In Hyo unleashed the Byeokryeok Palm—the very technique that had elevated him to branch master of the Murim Alliance.
“Pathetic.”
Lim Yang Baek regarded his technique with contempt and opened his left hand wide.
In that instant.
“……!”
Gang In Hyo felt himself completely overwhelmed.
The scarred palm swelled before him, then engulfed his own strike entirely.
Crack-crack-crack-crack!
Lightning flickered and danced within the grip, then faded to silence.
Lim Yang Baek unclenched his left fist slowly, then brought it toward Gang In Hyo’s head.
The movement was impossibly slow.
Yet Gang In Hyo could not evade.
The moment the palm drew near, he couldn’t move a single finger.
‘So this is the true strength of the Bandit Lord…….’
As the hand drew closer and Gang In Hyo abandoned all hope, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Damn it——!”
Cheon Yi Gae, clenching his jaw, lashed out with a kick.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
Gang In Hyo’s body launched into the air, sent flying.
Perhaps because he’d left himself completely exposed.
Taking Cheon Yi Gae’s Shattering Jade Kick full in the chest, Gang In Hyo lost consciousness at once.
“Your judgment is sound.”
Lim Yang Baek, speaking in a low voice, lifted Cheon Yi Gae by the throat.
“Hgh!”
Cheon Yi Gae strained to grip Lim Yang Baek’s wrist with both hands, his lips trembling.
“Are… are you trying to start a… war right now?”
“A war, you say? That suits me fine.”
“You’re… you’re insane!”
Lim Yang Baek laughed, a chilling sound. “As expected from a Gae Bang man—you know me rather well.”
He hurled Cheon Yi Gae down with brutal force.
Crash!
Cheon Yi Gae’s body smashed into the wall, blood spilling from his mouth.
“Kah!”
Cheon Yi Gae sank to his knees, gasping.
‘Internal… internal injuries!’
He desperately channeled the Chui Pal Seon Gong to steady himself.
His Inner Power spread through his entire body, suppressing the damage and restoring his equilibrium in a single breath.
‘At this rate, even escape will be impossible.’
Once he’d steadied himself somewhat, Cheon Yi Gae wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
‘How strong is this man? With martial prowess like this, he could rival even the Sword Saint.’
He stared at Lim Yang Baek, his lip bleeding.
Then Lim Yang Baek spoke.
“I’ll give you one last chance.”
Lim Yang Baek clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke.
“Release your men now, and I’ll spare all of you. What do you say? A generous offer, wouldn’t you agree?”
Cheon Yi Gae’s eyes narrowed at Lim Yang Baek’s manner—as though he were bestowing mercy.
It was an arrogance that grated on him, yet he couldn’t bring himself to argue back.
Lim Yang Baek possessed the strength to back such words. If he wished, he could annihilate not only Cheon Yi Gae himself but everyone in the Shanxi division with a single decision.
‘Damn it all!’
Cheon Yi Gae finally lowered his head.
“…Very well.”
“I’m glad we can see eye to eye. I nearly had to resort to needless bloodshed.”
Lim Yang Baek smiled grimly.
Cheon Yi Gae regarded him with displeasure, then gestured to those around him. “Release the Nok Lim men.”
The fighters hesitated, uncertain whether to obey, until Cheon Yi Gae roared at them.
“Do you want to die here?!”
Shocked back to their senses, the men dragged all the Nok Lim fighters out of the prison.
“Chief Bandit Lord?”
The Nok Lim fighters, barely freed from their cells, were bewildered at first—but the moment they saw Lim Yang Baek, understanding dawned.
Lim Yang Baek looked upon them and commanded, “Return to the stronghold.”
“Yes, sir!”
Led by a soldier who cried out with vigor, they rushed outside in a scramble.
Just as Lim Yang Baek turned to leave, Cheon Yi Gae spoke again.
“Did it have to come to this? If you’d simply sent word to the Murim Alliance proposing a trade, this could have ended without all this trouble.”
Lim Yang Baek cut him off, lifting his chin sharply.
“So you’re saying we should bow our heads to the Murim Alliance—is that it?”
Cheon Yi Gae fell silent.
It wasn’t what he’d meant to imply, yet his words, taken plainly, were exactly that—and he couldn’t deny it.
Lim Yang Baek gazed steadily at the silent man, then spoke quietly.
“Nok Lim looks down on us.”
His entire frame radiated an intense, crushing presence as his eyes narrowed to slits.
“We too are of the unorthodox path. Don’t think we’ll forever lower our heads before you.”
Lim Yang Baek spun on his heel, his gray robe billowing dramatically as he turned.
“Damn…”

As Cheon Yi Gae bit his lip, wrestling with what lay ahead,
Thud—thud—
Lim Yang Baek emerged from the building and climbed into the carriage waiting outside the branch office.
There were already passengers inside.
It was Go Hong, whose appearance made it difficult to tell if they were a woman or a man, and Hyo Gwan, the master of the Daen Trading Company.
“You’ve arrived?”
“Ah, here you are.”
Both greeted Lim Yang Baek as he climbed into the carriage.
Hyo Gwan in particular watched him with a gaze full of reverence, a smile playing at his lips.
‘A great prize. A truly great one.’
For a merchant, discernment was everything.
And among all things, Hyo Gwan believed that the ability to read people was most crucial of all.
And now, from Lim Yang Baek before him, he sensed the aura of a great prize.
‘With this man at our side, even our own company….’
Just then, Go Hong spoke carefully.
“But was it necessary to act so drastically?”
Lim Yang Baek’s eyes narrowed into slits.
“An outlaw sect must reign as an object of terror—that’s the only way to survive in Kangho.”
In that instant, a bone-chilling killing intent flowed forth.
Lim Yang Baek, arms folded, let his eyes gleam with cold light.
“And if we backed down here, who would fear us?”
At those decisive words, Go Hong was startled inwardly.
‘I underestimated Nok Lim.’
In truth, Go Hong had looked down on Nok Lim as mere bandits’ sect, but this Lim Yang Baek’s martial prowess and bearing were far different from what he’d expected.
‘Compared even to the sect leaders of the Five Sects….’
As Go Hong was revising his assessment, Lim Yang Baek opened his mouth.
“And I know it was thanks to me that you took the remaining members of the Black Shadow Squad with you.”
“……!”
Go Hong’s eyes wavered for a moment.
Though he recovered quickly, he could not escape the sharp gaze of Lim Yang Baek.
“You knew?”
“How arrogant. Did you truly think you could deceive my eyes?”
Go Hong’s palms grew slick with sweat.
That gaze was chilling to the bone.
Lim Yang Baek’s piercing stare felt like a serpent climbing up one’s body, rearing its fangs and tongue directly before one’s eyes.
“My apologies.”
At Go Hong’s apology, Lim Yang Baek withdrew his gaze and spoke.
“But this troubles me. Even with Cheon Yi Gae present, those forces couldn’t have brought down the Hangshan Stronghold and the Black Shadow Squad.”
Lim Yang Baek’s eyes narrowed to slits.
“Who exactly killed the lord of the Hangshan Stronghold?”
At those words—sharp as a blade’s edge—both men felt a chill run through them.
Gulp—
Go Hong swallowed hard, then carefully opened his lips.
“It was a man named Cheon Hui of the Huashan Sect.”
“Cheon Hui……?”
Lim Yang Baek’s brow furrowed.
It was a name he’d heard before somewhere.
But when it wouldn’t quite come to him, Go Hong slowly steadied his breath and continued.
“He is the one recently called the Man of the Plum Blossom Divine Art in Kangho.”
* * *
“Huh?”
Cheon Hui suddenly scratched his itchy ear with a murmur.
“Someone’s speaking of me, it seems.”
Cheon Hui spoke carelessly, shrugged his shoulders, and gazed out the window.
“Huff, huff.”
“I—I’m dying.”
Beside him, the Hwa Ryeong Dan members who hadn’t mounted horses were gasping and deploying movement techniques.
Yet their eyes remained fixed on another Hwa Ryeong Dan member who was mounted on horseback.
Their gazes burned with anger.
“You said we’d ride in the carriage together!”
“Cowards, traitors, the lot of you…….”
They spat the words through heaving breath, their voices thick with fury.
Their trembling cheeks revealed the depth of their rage—anyone could see it.
“Ahem.”
The four riders from the Hwa Ryeong Dan heard them and coughed awkwardly.
Pangs of conscience stirred within them, it was true.
Originally, the Hwa Ryeong Dan had all colluded to refuse Cheon Hui’s instruction.
But the moment Cheon Hui raised a single finger, they had been the first to rush forward.
Yet their conscience was soon swallowed by something else, and smiles crept onto their lips.
‘How else would they catch us?’
‘Well, we made the right choice.’
What did it matter if others glared or complained?
With bodies this comfortable, how could they care?
Meanwhile, Cheon Hyang and Dan Mok Lin drifted in peace amid the commotion.
“The weather’s lovely today, isn’t it?”
“Indeed it is. The sky’s clear.”
No one said a word to the two of them as they chatted.
They had never been part of the conspiracy, and they had always intended to train anyway.
Meanwhile, the five-man unit commander who had been observing the Hwa Ryeong Dan just as carefully as Cheon Hui muttered to himself.
“No wonder the Huashan Sect is no ordinary force.”
He let the admiration spill from his lips softly.
Though he had allied with the Huashan Sect, this was the first time he had witnessed their martial prowess directly.
Of course, lacking knowledge of martial arts himself, he could not assess their skill in precise detail.
Yet it was easy to infer that their prowess far exceeded what their youth might suggest.
Had they not pushed back the Hangshan Stronghold, an object of terror to the trading companies?
True, they had been overpowered by the Black Shadow Squad of Sa Hyuk Ryeon, but that could hardly be held against them.
The Black Shadow Squad was a force of a different order entirely.
The very fact that they had held their own against such opponents for so long was remarkable.
‘And on top of that, the Sword Saint is with them…….’
His gaze drifted naturally to Cheon Hui, and his mouth spread into the widest smile.
Having Cheon Hui there filled him with a reassurance no other thing in the world could match.
A genuine smile now settled on his face, and he spoke with a voice full of conviction.
“Before long, the name of the Huashan Sect will ring through all of Kangho with great renown.”
Cheon Hui let out a soft laugh.
“That’s only natural.”
It was the way things had to be.
‘Why else would I be teaching them?’
It was all so that the Huashan Sect would make its name ring throughout All Under Heaven and become the supreme sect.
There was no way they would fail to do so.
‘Besides, I’ve even made An Hyang Dan for them, taught them martial arts. And yet…….’
In an instant, Cheon Hui’s eyes, fixed on the Hwa Ryeong Dan, filled with disappointment.
‘They’re still at that level. Sigh.’
A heavy sigh escaped him.
They were nearly at the threshold of great fortune, and yet their strength still fell short by far, making him shake his head—but only for a moment.
‘No, compared to the beginning, they’ve grown tremendously. Back then, even as Maehwa Sword Masters, they couldn’t properly manifest the Sword Flower.’
As he recalled their original skill level, he felt a certain satisfaction.
This time, not only had they seized the advantage against the Hangshan Stronghold, but even when facing the Black Shadow Squad, they had shown the ability to hold their ground.
‘If it had been back then, they wouldn’t have even managed to hold their ground—they would have died the moment they met the Black Shadow Squad.’
Compared to the beginning, the change was as dramatic as looking at different eras.
‘And now they’ve finally grasped the proper mindset of a true martial artist.’
Cheon Hui nodded slightly.
Slow though their growth was relative to what they had gained, they were still advancing steadily, step by step.
‘If their growth is slow, I’ll simply have to push them harder, won’t I?’
Just as Cheon Hui was nodding to himself, imagining the despair his disciples would feel at what awaited them, an excited shout erupted from beyond the carriage.
“Huas, Huashan!”
“We’re finally…… here!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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